Untold Secrets
by normerofeels
Summary: This is a different version of Bates Motel, starting with a brief summary of Norma's high school life and following her through her marriages. The story is better than the description.
1. Chapter 1

_This fic is going to be AU. The characters are the same, the plot is different. I'm going to go ahead and post the first three chapters all at once just so you can get a feel of where this story is headed. Let me know what you think :)_

Norma's life had never been easy. From the day she was born into a family that didn't want her, she had struggled. Her mother was hardly ever aware of her surroundings and her father had been collecting disability money for an injury that was long gone. He spent most of his time drinking and physically abusing Norma and her mother.

The only person she had by her side throughout her childhood aside from her brother was Alex Romero. They grew up next door to each other and had been there for each other. Alex went through similar situations as Norma. The only difference was, he didn't get raped by his own sibling.

Before anything had happened between Norma and Caleb, they had been best friends. He was her soul mate, her protector, her big brother. They had hours upon hours of conversation. He patiently listens to her, gave his inputs, and even cried to her once.

But none of that mattered that night. He was seventeen and she had just turned ten when he kissed her even though he knew that would mark the beginning of their end.

Even though he knew it would be the beginning of the end of her childhood.

Even though he knew that would be the her experience leading up to loss of innocence and growing up. Even though he himself hated being a grown up.

In that moment, she wasn't his best friend, she wasn't his baby sister whom he had cried to or who had cried to him.

She was just a pair of lips that wouldn't say no.

She felt like a prisoner. Like she had been kidnapped in her own home.

He ruined her, defeated her, claimed dominance over her, and humiliated her. Every time she looked at her own body, she didn't see a beautiful, young body like everyone else saw when they looked at her. No. She saw a wound. She saw a constant reminder of what she wasn't strong enough to control.

"Where are you?" Alex asks, looking back at her. She looks up into his dark eyes, from her spot in the grass before quickly handing him the flat stone in her hand.

"Nowhere." she lies, watching him turn back to the lake and throw the rock across the water, skipping twice before sinking.

"You're quiet." he points out while she grabs another rock and hands it to him.

"Sometimes I don't have a lot to say." she lies again, brushing her hair away from her face. He glances back at her with a knowing look.

"You always have something to say, Norma Calhoun." he says with a smirk. She smiles softly but doesn't reply. Alex had a very round face, still carrying the baby fat in his cheeks. The rest of his body was skinny as can be, no meat nor muscle. But her favorite part of him was his brown eyes that were just barely covered by his dark, shaggy hair.

"You ever think about cutting your hair?" she asks. He looks back at her and automatically reaches up to touch his rather long hair.

"Why?" he asks.

"Just curious, square." she says with a shrug.

"You ever think about cutting _your_ hair?" he asks, grabbing a rock from the ground and skipping it three times.

"Yeah, sure." she says, making him look back with surprise.

"Hell, maybe I'll die it blonde." she says jokingly.

"Norma Calhoun as a blonde. That'd be something." he says with a laugh.

"Have you talked to Bob or Keith recently?" Norma asks. Alex tenses up at the mention of their names. They had all been great friends growing up but as time passed, Bob and Keith had become bullies towards Alex.

"I mean I've seen them in the halls. But they haven't shoved me into a locker recently." Alex says with a slight chuckle.

"What about Rebecca?" Norma asks, referring to Alex's most recent girlfriend. Alex shrugs, tossing another rock at the water.

"I don't know. I like Rebecca. But I don't think it's going to last very long." he says honestly.

Norma nods with understanding, picking at the grass beneath her.

"How has your dad been? After the...incident." Norma says, referring to Alex's mother committing suicide. Norma hadn't taken the loss well. Theresa Romero had been like a second mother to Norma when she wasn't sedated. She was kind and gentle and beautiful. Everything her own mother wasn't.

"Fine." Alex says, becoming short with her. Norma should've known better than to bring up his mom's suicide. Her death had changed something inside of Alex. It was like part of him had died with her.

"I gotta get home. My dad's gonna kill me if I'm late." Alex says, grabbing his backpack.

"You coming?" he asks, noticing her lack of movement.

"No not for a bit. My dad won't be home till seven tonight so i'll just stay here." she says, sitting down in the grass.

"By yourself?" he asks.

"I'll be fine. I'll talk to you later, square." she tells him with a smile.

"Okay. Bye." he says before running off into the woods.

It wasn't until later that night when Alex heard something outside of his bedroom window. He was already in bed with his lights out but his mind had kept him awake. He slowly sat up, reaching over to grab his bat that was leaning against his desk beside his bed. He slips out from under his covers and holds his bat up, prepared to defend himself against whatever is outside his house.

Norma popped up in front of him, making him flinch and jump away from the window. Norma smiles slightly and waits for him to slide his window open.

"Jesus Christ, Norma." Alex sighs, kneeling in front of the window.

"Sorry to scare you." she says softly.

"What're you doing here? It's late." he states.

"Can I come in?" she asks. He looks around before looking back at her, looking uneasy.

"Fine." he sighs, leaning out the window to grab her hands and pull her up into his room.

"Cute outfit." Norma says, glancing at his red boxers with sharks on them. He hadn't had time to grab a shirt or pants before letting Norma inside.

"Wasn't expecting company." he says, grabbing sweat pants and pulling them on before sitting next to her on his bed.

"So? What's up?" he asks, wanting to get to the point.

"Well, uh...wow, where do I begin?" she asks herself.

"So, i'm pregnant." she says nonchalantly. Alex widens his eyes with shock, looking down at her stomach as if he would be able to see the bump this early.

"John's?" Alex asks. John Massett had been Norma's boyfriend since she was a freshman. She and Alex are seniors now, just days away from graduating.

"Norma?" he asks, noticing her lack of response to his question. Tears form in her eyes and she quickly looks away from him.

"What?" he whispers.

"I...I haven't been completely honest with you." she tells him. He looks at her with confusion, wondering what she could've done that was so bad that she didn't want to share with him.

"Well you're already pregnant so there can't be anything too shocking." he says with a chuckle. She opens her mouth but no words come out.

"You can tell me." he says. She takes a deep breath and begins playing with the hem of her light blue dress.

"For...for a long time...my brother and I...we used to have sex." she manages to whisper. The shock hits Alex like a truck, rendering him frozen.

"I didn't know any better at the time. I was so young and he was all I had. But then...then I realized that it was wrong and I tried...I tried to stop it but..." she trails off, shaking her head.

"I'll kill him." Alex says through gritted teeth. He had never felt so much rage run through him before. To think that her own brother had forced her to do such vile things.

"Alex, please." Norma says, grabbing his face and making him look at her.

"Please, don't. And don't tell anyone. Okay?" she asks.

"Is it his baby?" Alex asks, his mind going a million miles a second.

"Yes. But..." she begins, looking back at him.

"But what?" he asks.

"It...well it could be yours." she says slowly.

"What? We haven't-"

"I know. I know we haven't. But...Alex, if you...if you help me out with this we could run away together." she says wth excitement.

"What about John?" Alex asks.

"Fuck John...and fuck Caleb. It's you and me. We can do this, Alex." Norma says, standing up from the bed.

"Norma, this is...its..." he trails off, standing up to pace his room.

"It's crazy. And wild and...and..this is our way out! This baby can help us get out of here." she finishes, smiling widely.

"Norma, I can't." he tells her, stopping her.

"Why?" she asks, her face crumpling.

"Are you hearing yourself? Look at us, Norma. We're just kids."

"I'll give you time to think, Alex. I'll come here after graduation, okay? You'll have an answer by then?" she asks. Without waiting for an answer, she places a kiss on his cheek and escapes through his window just as swiftly as she had arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

Things were moving quicker than Norma had ever expected them to. John was home from college but Norma still hadn't heard from Alex about whether or not he would run away with her. Graduation had just ended but Norma couldn't seem to find Alex anywhere.

"Have you seen Alex?" Norma asks Bob Paris.

"Not since he got his diploma." Bob tells her.

"Have you seen Alex?" she asks, moving on to Rebecca.

"Fuck off, Norma. You've been after my boyfriend all year. Give it a rest." Rebecca spits back, glaring at her. Norma feels the urge to fight back but the need to find Alex overpowers that urge.

"Maggie, have you seen Alex?" Norma asks, finding Keith Summers' little sister wandering about the school.

"He didn't tell you?" Maggie asks with surprise.

"Tell me what?"

Alex had just finished locking his front door when he hears Norma's car pull up to his house. He glances back to see her yank her door open and step out of her car before slamming the door shut. She looked pissed.

"What the hell, Alex? When were you going to tell me?" she asks angrily.

"I wasn't." he tells her honestly, grabbing his last bag and walking it to his car.

"You didn't think you owed me at least that much?" she asks.

He shoves the bag into his trunk before closing it and turning to her.

"I'm trying to move on-"

"By joining the Marines?" she asks. He sighs and looks away from her, staring at the house in front of him. His dad had just been arrested by the DEA and his mother had killed herself. The place that he once saw as his home now stood as an empty reminder of all the bad things that had happened to Alex.

"What are you running away from?" Norma asks.

"I don't know who I am anymore, Norma." he tells her, looking back into her wet, blue eyes.

"I need to find my purpose. That's what I am running to." he says, leaning against his car. He looks down at his dirty shoes, feeling as though he might cry.

"I just...I thought she would always be here. To see me graduate...see me get married. But now..." he trails off, glancing back up at the house.

"I've got to get going." he tells Norma.

"What about me?" she whispers, drawing his attention back to her.

"What about me, Alex? I could've made you happy. You know I could've. We could have started a family and I could've helped you find a purpose. But you're leaving me! You're leaving me here with these people and...and i'm alone." she cries, feeling betrayed by the man she trusted most.

Alex felt bad for doing what he had done but there was nothing either of them could do now.

"It's done, Norma. I can't change it. I can't take it back. I'm sorry." he tells her. She wipes her tears away, the broken look on her face gone and replaced by the poker face that had always made Alex feel uneasy.

"I will never forgive you for this." she tells him before turning on her heel.

"You're not going to say goodbye?" he asks, wishing he could hug her one last time. She doesn't say anything, doesn't even glance back at him. It was like he hadn't said anything at all. She gets into her car and disappears down the road just as quickly as she had come.

She drove straight to John's house to tell him of the baby. He proposed to her on the spot and she accepted without hesitance.

The next three years went by in a blur.

John was a nice enough guy at first, working hard to bring home enough money to support her and baby Dylan. But eventually, he became irritated. It started with insults casually thrown at Norma. Eventually, John became an avid drinker. It was routine for Norma to have a beer open and waiting for him when he got home as well as a hot meal. He would sit in front of the tv while Norma fed their child. One small mishap and he would become physical with her.

He would grab her wrist and squeeze it until she fell to her knees in pain. He would slap her across her cheek, spit in her face, pull her hair, nothing too serious. But eventually, the beatings became worse.

"Where've you been?" John asks as soon as Norma quietly steps inside the house. She looks up with surprise, seeing him in his usual chair, glaring at her. It was almost one in the morning and Norma had snuck out of the house to meet a man she had just met named Sam.

She met Sam at the grocery store when her shopping cart ran into his. He was charming and sweet, offering to pay for her groceries to which she refused. So instead, he offered to take her out. She quickly fell in love with him, being whisked off her feet by his genuine kindness. The affair had been going on for almost two months.

"I-I...there was..." Norma stutters, caught off guard by the sudden interrogation. John slowly stands up, walking over to Norma. He grabs her by her arm and smacks her across her cheek, making her cry out.

He then drops her to the floor and kicks her in her side, making the air rush out of her lungs. He hits almost every place on her body with his hands, leaving marks and bruises that will surely show tomorrow.

"John, please-"

"You lying slut. You think you can go behind my back? Who is it? Is it Romero?" he asks, holding her down by wrapping his hand around her neck, cutting off airflow. Her eyes widen as she realizes that this is how she might die. Her nails claw at his hands and face, anywhere that might make him let go of her. She finally manages to kick him off of her and flee up the stairs to grab Dylan and the car keys.

"Don't think you're getting away that easy." he shouts, trying to stand up in his drunken state.

"Fine, go! Go run off and call your boyfriend, Alex." he shouts, leaning against the doorway while Norma buckles her three year old in the back seat. She races off to a motel, paying for a room.

She felt strange after hearing Alex's name. He had always been on her mind, sometimes she pretended like Dylan was Alex's son. It made dealing with the young boy a bit easier. But hearing his name for the first time in three years had made something click.

Before she knew what she was doing, she was dialing his familiar number. She paced the motel room, taking large sips of the bottle of vodka she had bought in the office of the motel. Dylan was sleeping in the bed, his cheeks pink while his hands were tucked under his face.

"Romero." his voice says into her ear. Whatever air she had in her lungs had rushed out of her, leaving her struggling to answer.

"Hello?" he asks again.

"Alex?" she asks, her voice sounding hoarse because of her neck injury.

Alex walked up the stairs, his palms feeling sweaty with nervousness. She had sounded different on the phone. He didn't know why she had called him or why she was staying in a motel. All she told him was that she needed to see him.

It seemed to be fate. Alex was only in town until tomorrow before he was going to be shipped back out with the Marines.

The door that led to her motel room was left slightly ajar and Alex could hear the music coming from the room. It was old music, the type of music that was played at the school dances.

Alex stepped into the room, finding Norma facing away from him, swaying to the music, her bare feet planted in the carpet.

She was obviously intoxicated, the bottle of liquor hanging loosely from her fingers. As if hearing him walk in, she turned around, her striking blue eyes finding his brown ones. Alex's breath hitched in his throat as soon as he saw her familiar eyes. He had forgotten how much he missed her.

But what shocked him most were the marks on her porcelain skin. He saw purple marks along her arms and a large red mark on her cheek. Her throat was a dark purple, almost blue color. Alex knew she probably had more marks underneath her floral dress that hung from her too thin body.

"You're in uniform." she says, looking him up and down.

"Yes." he says slowly, his voice deeper than when they last spoke.

"You look good in uniform, Alex." she tells him. He smiles slightly, still hesitating at the door. She pauses for a little longer, just looking at him. He had cut his hair, the marine look. His once skinny body was now fully built, making him look more like a man. Norma was surprised by how much she was attracted to him.

"Am I going to hell?" she asks.

The question caught Alex off guard. Why would she think such a thing?

"No." he says simply.

"Am I a bad person?" she asks.

"No."

"But I called you. Just like he said I would." she tells him.

He doesn't say anything, doesn't know what he should say. She looks down at her marked arms and at the bottle dangling from her fingers. She looks up at him again, her eyes glazed over as the affect of alcohol takes over even more.

"Am I a bad person?" she asks again.

"No." he tells her again.

"Are you a bad person?" she asks. He pauses for a moment, the cold outside air hitting his neck and arms.

"Yes." he tells her. She shakes her head, swaying to the music for a moment before stopping.

"I don't believe that." she tells him.

"I know you don't." he tells her.

"I want to dance with you." she says softly, turning away from him.

He steps inside and closes the door behind him, walking toward her without a word. He takes the bottle from her hands and sets it aside on the table. He turns back to her, taking her hands in his, pulling her close.

She wraps her arms around his neck while he places his hands on her lower back, swaying back and forth with her. She smelled the same as she did three years ago. This comforted Alex.

"When do you go back?" she asks.

It took him a minute to realize she was talking about his time in the Marines.

"Tomorrow." he tells her.

"What brought you back here?" she asks.

He hesitates, his hand suddenly feeling heavy.

"I got married." he tells her.

She stiffens, thinking of how he turned her down and then was so quick to marry some other girl.

"Me too." she tells him, looking at the ring on her finger.

She slips the ring off and lets it fall to the ground with a clink.

"Not anymore." she says with a giggle.

He sighs and closes his eyes, pulling her closer to him.

"We can't be together." she tells him, her fingers playing with the ends of his dark hair.

"No." he tells her.

"I still haven't forgiven you for leaving me." she tells him.

He smiles and nods, knowing what he did was wrong and unfair to her.

"That's good. You shouldn't forgive me so easily. I don't deserve it." he tells her.

She pulls away and stumbles toward the bed, carefully sitting next to Dylan. Alex follows, his eyes scanning the young, beautiful boy.

"He looks like you." Alex tells her, pushing Dylan's hair away from his forehead.

"No. He looks too much like _him._ " she says with disgust.

"Sometimes it's hard to look at him. Because all I see when I look at Dylan is..." she trails off, looking away from Dylan.

"I don't regret leaving." he tells her honestly. He didn't know why he felt he had to say it. As soon as the words left his lips, he wanted to take them back.

"Did you miss me at all? While you were out there looking for yourself?" she asks, staring at Dylan.

"Of course." he whispers.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asks.

He pauses, watching her brush the hair of her small child. He thinks of how he could've started a life with her, how they could be happy together and this little boy would call him dad and Norma wouldn't have marks on her skin.

"Alex I want you to leave." she whispers, glancing up at him.

He was hurt but he would do whatever she asked of him. So he slowly began to stand up.

"Not now." she says, grabbing his arm.

She lays down beside Dylan, cuddling him. She pulls Alex's arm closer to her, forcing him to lay behind her.

"I want you to leave but not until morning. Just stay a while. Okay?" she asks.

He smiles and melts into her, draping his arm over her side and burying his nose into her hair.

"Okay." he tells her.

She closes her eyes, her arms wrapped around Dylan while Alex's arms were wrapped around her.

It was just where Alex wanted to be. He had never felt more at home. The last time he felt this happy was when his mother was alive. He wishes his mom could be around to see him like this. She had always told Alex that she knew he would end up with Norma. She had always known that he loved Norma.


	3. Chapter 3

Alex hadn't slept so well since his early high school years. Sleeping next to Norma and Dylan had made Alex feel warm and loved. This warm feeling ended as soon as his eyes opened.

He found himself laying in the bed by himself, feeling cold. For a moment, Alex had thought the previous night might've been a dream. He quickly sat up and looked around at the empty motel room. Her stuff was gone along with the mess she had made during her stay.

All that was left was a small piece of paper on the bedside table with Alex's name written on it. Alex reaches over and grabs the paper, his eyes slowly reading Norma's beautiful handwriting.

 _Alex-_

 _I'm so sorry for calling you and interrupting your night. Things can't change between us, I know that. I've left town, you won't see me or hear from me again. I'll always keep you in my heart. You were my best friend, square._

 _Love always,_

 _Norma_

Alex could feel his eyes burn with tears as he read her words. He didn't want things to end how they did. He wanted to save her from whoever had left those marks on her beautiful skin. He wanted to divorce his wife and start a life with Norma like he should've all those years ago. Maybe he wouldn't be so sad and lonely now.

Almost two years had passed by but it felt like a lifetime for Norma. So much had changed since that night with Alex. She married Sam and had a child with him. She was happy. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy.

She and Sam moved to Arizona with Dylan and Norman to start a life without John around to harass them. Norma was living in pure bliss. But, like all good thing in Norma's life, it didn't last very long. It first started with verbal abuse from Sam.

"I swear, you can be such a bitch sometimes." Sam says as Norma cleans up his empty beer cans.

"Sam, please, not in front of the kids." she says gently as she glances over at Dylan and Norman who were sitting together in their crib.

"They can't understand us. They're just little shits. Can't understand anything." Sam says, throwing his next empty beer can at Norma.

"Sam, stop this! You're being ridiculous." she tells him angrily.

"Why don't you go for a walk. Cool down." she suggests. He sighs and nods, standing up from his chair to grab the car keys.

"I'm just gonna go to my buddy's house down the street. I'll be back tomorrow." he says, walking out of the house.

Norma would've stopped him from leaving in his state but she didn't want to argue with him any longer. She just wanted to put her boys to bed and then get some sleep herself.

This was their routine almost every night, arguing with each other until he storms off to his friend's house or to the local pub.

"Need some help, miss?" Norma asks, pausing at her mailbox, the mail in her hand, as she watches the young woman next door struggle with a stack of moving boxes. The brunette looks over and smiles kindly.

"Yes, thank you." she says, her voice sounding pleasant. Norma rushes over and takes a box from the young woman's hands.

"I'm Norma." Norma says, looking over at the beautiful woman. She had a dark complexion, beautiful dark locks and dark eyes but her skin was rather fair.

"I'm Katie." she says, leading Norma inside.

"I just moved here from California. My husband is in the military and I just wanted to be closer to my parents. They live a few neighborhoods over." Katie explains, setting the box down in the living room.

"Oh wow. I guess I'm your new neighbor. I live there with my husband. And then I have a four year old, Dylan and a one and a half year old, Norman." Norma replies.

"Aw, I hope to meet them soon. My husband and I have actually been trying. Well...he doesn't know that I'm off the pill. But it seems nothing is taking. Besides, I barely ever get to see him so.." the young woman trails off sadly, her hand rubbing her own baron stomach.

"Well I am going to go check on my boys but...I can swing by later if you'd like. To make sure you've settled in and what not." Norma offers.

"Wow, thank you. That would be great!" Katie says.

"I'll see you." Norma says, walking out. When she walks into her house, she finds Dylan sitting on the floor next to Norman, rubbing diaper cream all over the infant.

"Oh.." Norma gasps, pausing in her place.

She knew she should be angry at Dylan for the wasted cream but she couldn't help but laugh when he turned around and smiled innocently, his blue eyes staring into her own. She quickly grabs the camera from the table and snaps a picture of the pair.

"I painted, momma." Dylan says happily.

"You made quite the mess, didn't you?" Norma asks, grabbing a towel to wipe Dylan's hands clean.

"Up to the bath." she says, picking up Norman. Dylan runs up the stairs ahead of Norma to turn on the water. It was his favorite part of taking a bath.

"Not too full, Dylan." Norma says, walking in with Norman. She glances at the water level and sticks her hand in, making sure the water isn't too hot.

"That's enough, darling." she says to Dylan who quickly shuts the water off.

"Strip." she says, already peeling off Norman's clothes which were also covered in cream. Dylan quickly removes his clothes and starts jumping up and down with excitement.

"Ready?" Norma asks, turning to Dylan.

"Bath time!" he says, raising his arms to allow Norma to pick him up and set him in the tub. Norma smiles and grabs Norman, sitting him in the tub beside Dylan.

"No splashing." Norma says when Dylan becomes a little too excited.

"Can I have duck?" Dylan asks, gazing at the bath ducks that sit on the sink across from them. Norma smiles and reaches back to retrieve the duck and hand it to him.

"Dylan, don't paint with the cream again, okay?" Norma asks as she washes the cream from Norman's chubby body.

"Pane?" Norman asks. He just started talking a few weeks ago but Norma still got excited every time he said a word. She giggles at his attempt at saying 'paint'.

"Paint, right. No paint." Norma tells him.

"No, pane?" he asks.

"No paint, Norman." Dylan says, leaning in front of Norman's face.

"Go back to your duck. I need to clean your brother." Norma says gently.

"Norma?" Sam calls out. Norma gasps and checks her watch, realizing she still hasn't made dinner and the house is a mess.

"Sam, I'm up here." she calls back. She hears his loud steps coming up the stairs to where they are.

"Why is the house a mess?" he asks, appearing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry. I just...I was going to clean but the boys made a bit of a mess so I had to wash them-"

"I don't want your excuses, Norma. What I want is to come home after a long day of work to a clean house and a hot meal. Do you have either of those to offer me?" he asks.

"No. I'm sorry." she says, staring up at him with fear. He sighs and shakes his head.

"I'm going to the pub." he says. It was his way of telling her that he is pissed.

"I love you." she calls out. The only response she got was the slam of the front door.

"Okay. All done." Norma says once she is finished bathing both boys. Dylan stands up and reaches for Norma. She wraps him in a towel and picks him up, setting him outside of the tub.

"Okay. Go wait in your room." she says. He runs off and Norma turns back to Norman.

"Stand up." she says gently, holding his hands as he slowly stands up. She grabs a towel and wraps it around his small body before picking him up and cradling him against her chest. She inhales the smell of his shampoo and smiles.

"I love you, Norman." she whispers, placing a kiss on his chubby cheeks. Norman laughs, displaying his toothless smile.

She stands up with Norman, carrying him to the room he shares with Dylan.

"You have jammies picked out?" Norma asks, seeing Dylan grab something from his dresser, his underwear already on his body.

"I got race cars!" he says, showing her the onesie with race cars on it.

"Very cool." she says, helping him into his pajamas. She zips up the fabric and turns to Norman.

"Any special requests?" she asks Norman as she helps him into his pull ups.

"Boo!" he shouts.

"Blue? I think I have just what you're looking for." Norma says, grabbing a royal blue onesie.

"Yeah?" she asks, helping him into his pajamas.

"Yes." he says, his small hands holding onto her shoulders for support.

"Very cute, honey." she says, placing a kiss on his chubby cheek.

"Let's take a trip next door to meet the neighbor. Yeah?" Norma asks, carrying Norman and reaching for Dylan's hand.

"Yeah!" Dylan says, grabbing onto her fingers. They make their way across the lawn to Katie's house. Norma knocks and waits patiently.

"Evening." Norma says once the door opens.

"Oh, hello! And who do we have here?" Katie asks, squaring down to look at Dylan.

"I'm Dylan." he says confidently. Dylan was never a shy boy, never one to hide behind his mother's leg. He had always been independent.

"I'm Katie." she says sweetly. She stands back up and steps aside.

"Please. Come in. I was just ordering a pizza. You guys hungry?" she asks as they walk inside.

"That's alright. They're got mac and cheese at home." Norma says, setting Norman down.

"Okay. I'll be right back. Make yourselves at home." Katie says before walking into the kitchen.

"Norman, don't touch that." Norma says, watching Norman reach for the decorative glass bowl sitting on the center table. He looks back at her and runs to her lap. Norma looks around at the pictures that have been set on the shelves. There were many of Katie and what Norma assumed to be her parents. The one Norma was most interested in was one of her and her husband. But she couldn't seem to find any.

"How are you settling in?" Norma asks as Katie walks back in.

"It's been tiring moving everything in. But it's not so bad now." Katie says, looking around.

"When does your husband get back?" Norma asks.

"Next weekend actually. We are throwing a party at my parents' house. You should come. My friends and family are driving up. It'll be great." Katie says.

"Yeah that would be great. I'll just have to find a sitter." Norma says, brushing Norman's hair away from his face.

"I was looking around and...do you have any pictures with your husband?" Norma asks.

"No. Not yet anyways. I mean we have a wedding photo but it's with him. Whenever he is home I just always forget to take a picture. It's strange, I guess." Katie says with a slight laugh. Norma smiles and nods, making a humming sound.

"How long is he staying this time?" Norma asks.

"For good. He promised he would come home for good this time." Katie says. It seemed as if she were trying to reassure herself more than anything.

"Mommy my tummy." Dylan whines, patting his small stomach.

"I know, sweetheart. We will go back soon." Norma tells him.

"You're so lucky." Katie says, looking at Dylan with admiration.

"I mean..I just want a baby so bad." she sighs sadly.

"I'm sure once your husband is home for good then there will be more time to...you know." Norma says, not wanting to say it in front of her kids.

"Oh I think you're right." Katie says with a laugh.

"Mama." Dylan whines again, pulling at the sleeve of her dress.

"Okay, well I should better get these kids fed and tucked in bed." Norma says, grabbing Norman and standing up.

"Well thanks for coming over. I guess I will see you next weekend. Or maybe before then." Katie says, walking them out.

"Say bye, Dyl." Norma says to her son.

"Bye, miss Katie!" Dylan shouts, waving at her. Katie laughs and waves back.

"Bye, then." Norma says, walking across the yard to her own house to feed her children.


	4. Chapter 4

Norma easily found a sitter for Norman and Dylan so that she and Sam could attend the welcome home party for Katie's husband. She had picked out a beautiful blue dress that made her eyes look almost electric.

"You ready?" Sam asks, appearing behind her in the mirror. She turns to him and gently fixes his tie, his masculine scent hitting her nostrils with such a force that it brings tears to her eyes.

"Yes. Is the sitter here?" Norma asks, looking up into his green eyes.

"Just got here. I already paid her and gave her the instructions you wrote down." he tells her.

"Okay. Let's go." Norma says, walking out of their room. She walks downstairs, Sam following right behind her.

"Hi, I'm Norma." Norma says, shaking the young woman's hand.

"Lauren." the girl says with a smile.

"Alright, come give mommy a hug." Norma says, kneeling down so that Dylan can run into her arms. Norman follows at a much slower pace, still not having gotten the hang of running without falling.

"I'll be home tonight to kiss you goodnight." she tells them as she stands back up.

"Bye mommy." Dylan says, waving as they walk out.

The drive to Katie's parents house was rather short. They only lived a few neighborhoods over. However, the drive was completely silent the entire time. When they pulled up to the large house, both Norma and Sam look up at it with surprise.

"They're rich." Sam says, shutting the car off and stepping out.

"Be good tonight, please." Norma says, stepping out and looking up at Sam with a smile. He smiles back and nods.

"I'll try." he says to her. Norma takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. It's Katie who answers, her mood considerably happier compared to when they first met.

"Hey, come on in." Katie says, stepping aside.

"This is Sam, my husband." Norma says, introducing him. He steps forward and shakes Katie's hand.

"I'm Katie, your neighbor." Katie says with a smile.

"Good to meet you." Sam says with a nod.

"Wow, this house is beautiful." Norma says, looking around.

"Thank you. My husband should be around somewhere." Katie says, looking around.

"Ah, there he is." Katie says. Norma looks to where she seems to be looking but doesn't see anyone moving their way.

"Alex, come here." Katie calls out.

Norma's heart skips a beat as she hears the name.

"A-Alex?" Norma asks.

She looks back to where Katie is looking again and her heart completely stops when she finds his familiar dark eyes again. He is walking towards them in his military uniform, his eyes doing a double take when they see Norma.

"Alex, these are our new neighbors." Katie says, taking his arm.

"This is Sam and Norma Bates." she says, gesturing to Sam and Norma.

"Nice to meet you." Alex says, shaking Sam's hand. He turns to Norma and for a moment, she wasn't sure what he was going to do. He slowly sticks his hand out to her and she takes it.

"Nice to meet you." he says.

She freezes for a moment, realizing that he isn't going to acknowledge their past.

"Y-Yes. You too." she finally manages to cough out.

They release each other's hands but their eyes remain on one another. The people around them seem to disappear and Norma fears she might faint if she stares at him any longer. So many emotions were flooding her, she was suddenly feeling ill.

"Norma?" Sam asks.

"Huh?" she asks, looking over to him, finally able to breathe.

"I said I am going to go get a drink with Katie." he repeats.

"O-Okay." she stutters, glancing back at Alex who is still watching her carefully. Sam walks away with Katie, leaving Alex alone with Norma.

"Little Calhoun, all grown up." he says quietly, his face remaining neutral. She smiles once he finally acknowledges their past.

"You...you look great." Norma says with a smile. He had definitely gained a lot of muscle mass. He smiles shortly before going back to his stoic expression.

"Thanks. You do too." he says simply.

"How have you been?" she asks.

"Good." he tells her. She nods, trying to get used to this new version of Alex who wasn't as goofy and friendly as the boy she used to know. In fact, this new Alex seemed like a totally new person.

"Your wife is nice. And pretty." Norma says, struggling to keep a conversation.

"Yeah. Yeah she is. She's nice." Alex says.

An older woman walks up, smiling at Alex and Norma.

"Hello. I'm Grace, Katie's mother." Grace says, sticking her hand out to Norma. Norma smiles and shakes the woman's frail hand.

"I'm Norma Bates. I live next door to them." Norma says, introducing herself. Before they can say more, Sam and Katie arrive back to the group.

"This is my husband, Sam." Norma says. Grace smiles and holds her hand out to Sam who ignores her.

"I think it's time for us to go." Sam says softly into Norma's ear.

"You're leaving?" Alex asks sadly, showing emotion for the first time that night.

"No." Norma says quickly.

"No, not yet. We just got here." she says again, turning to Sam.

"There's no rush to get back. We paid the sitter for three hours." Norma tells him. Sam glances around at the group before turning back to Norma.

"I'll be in the car." he tells her.

"Okay, do whatever you want." she replies. He glares at her but leaves silently out the front door. His fists clenched, he stomps outside, muttering angrily to himself.

" _Do whatever you want._ " he mimics, opening the car door. He sits in the front seat, staring out the windshield at the road in front of him. His anger begins to build as her words repeat on a cycle through his head.

Who was she to blatantly embarrass him in front of their new neighbors? He had to teach her a lesson and show their new neighbors who wore the pants.

His palm slams against the steering wheel before he quickly reopens the car door and steps onto the grass. He slams the door shut behind him as he marches back up to the house. When he walks back inside, he finds her just where he left her, talking to Alex, Katie, and both of Katie's parents.

"Oh wow, that's wonderful!" Norma says with a smile.

Sam marches up to her and grabs her by her hair, pushing her head down so that she is forced to bend over. She cries out while he tugs her out of the house by her hair.

"Sam! Sam stop it! You're hurting me!" she cries out, her hand grabbing his wrist and trying to pull him off of her.

Alex immediately tries to go after them, enraged by Sam's sudden abuse which was completely uncalled for. Before he can get more than a step out, Katie is in front of him, pushing him back.

"Alex, no. It's not our problem." she tells him. He glares down at her, wanting nothing more than to push her aside and save his childhood best friend. But her entire family was there as well as her friends and they were all watching Alex closely.

"He shouldn't touch her like that." Alex says through his teeth.

"What they do in their marriage is between them." Katie says coolly.

"How can you just stand by?" he asks her. He looks around and sees everyone watching the exchange.

"How can you all just stand by knowing that she is being hurt?" he asks everyone else. As soon as he asks this, everyone seems to become interested in anything but him.

"Alex, maybe you need some air. Perhaps you're feeling a bit overwhelmed." Katie says, guiding him to the front door. He nods, only because he wanted to walk outside and see if Norma was still here.

Unfortunately, when they stepped outside, the car was gone. He sighs angrily and glances back at Katie, resenting her for stopping him.

Norma and Sam rode home in silence, the tears falling from Norma's glazed over eyes silently. When they finally did arrive home, neither made a move to step out of the car.

"Norma...I...I'm sorry." Sam says, looking over at her to see her staring out the window.

"Norma." he says again gently. She still doesn't move.

"Please...look at me." he whispers. She slowly turns to look at him, her face crumpling.

"Please, let's just...let's just move past this. It was a mistake. Let's go back to how things were." Sam says.

"I don't know if we can do that, Sam." she tells him sadly.

"I've never been closer to anyone and...and I don't know you at all anymore." she whispers.

"Please, Norma. I'll be better. Okay? I will." he promises.

"Let's just...lets just put on a happy face and go inside. If not for us then for the kids." Sam suggests. She nods, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her dress.

They step out of the car and walk inside with smiling faces, as if nothing had ever happened at all.

Things went like this for a while. Sam would slip up and curse at her or squeeze her wrist, nothing too intense, and he would immediately apologize to her after. Then he would run off to the bar and Norma would throw herself into cleaning and caring for the kids.

Even though Alex was her neighbor, she didn't see much of him. Sam hardly let her out of the house. Though Alex seemed to be making an effort, bringing over desserts that Katie made or asking for an egg. Little things that always seemed to brighten Norma's day.

"The Romeros want us over for dinner." Sam says, walking into the kitchen.

"Tonight?" Norma asks with surprise.

"Yeah." he says simply, sitting at the table.

"That's not enough notice. We don't have a sitter." she tells him.

"They want to see the kids too." he tells her.

"O-Okay." Norma says, glancing down at Norman who is almost two and a half years old now and is waddling around the house in his diaper.

"Get the kids ready and we can go." Sam says, grabbing a beer from the fridge. Norma picks up Norman and runs upstairs, elated at the thought of spending more than two minutes with Alex.

She quickly dresses her boys and checks her own appearance in the mirror before walking downstairs where Sam is waiting. He takes Norman into his arms. He would never do such a thing to Dylan since Dylan wasn't his kid. He acted like the small child didn't even exist.

They walk across the yard to the beautiful house that Alex shares with Katie. Norma rings the doorbell and waits patiently.

"Should we have brought wine or something?" Norma whispers to Sam.

"Nah, they didn't say to bring anything." Sam replies, handing Norman to Norma.

The door opens and Katie smiles widely at them, stepping aside to allow them to step in.

"Hey, guys. Alex is in the back grilling, Sam, if you wanted to hang out with him." Katie offers.

It made Norma cringe, the way she expected the men to hang out with themselves while the women cared for the kids. Weren't women past this already?

"Sure. There any beer?" Sam asks, removing his coat and handing it to Norma.

"Alex has some out back." Katie says.

"I'll go say hi too." Norma says, hanging up Sam's coat as well as her own.

"Alright." Katie says, sitting down on the couch.

Norma follows Sam out the back door and onto the porch where Alex is grilling the chicken. He looks back and nods in greeting before turning back to the chicken.

"Hey man. You got any beer out here?" Sam asks.

"Sam." Norma says sternly. He shouldn't be so rude.

"Shut it." Sam snaps back at her.

"Beer's in the cooler." Alex says, nodding to the small cooler beside him. Sam opens it and grabs a beer before heading back inside.

"Sorry about him." Norma says once Sam closes the door behind him. Alex shuts the grill and turns to Norma before looking down at her kids.

"This is Norman. And you remember Dylan?" Norma asks. Alex nods, studying the two kids.

"They're cute." Alex tells her. She smiles and looks at Norman's big blue eyes. Alex steps forward and kneels down in front of Dylan, studying the young boy.

"They've both got your eyes, Calhoun." Alex mumbles, glancing up at her.

"Are you wearing makeup?" Dylan asks, his pointer finger reaching out to run along Alex's eyelashes. Alex smiles softly at the innocent gesture.

"No, i'm not." he tells Dylan.

"Are you?" he asks Dylan, raising an eyebrow. Dylan giggles wildly.

"No! That's for girls!" he says through his laughs.

"Hi." Norman says softly, slowly coming out of his shell for Alex. Alex stands up and smiles at Norman.

"Hi there." Alex says.

"I'm cowboy." Norman says, pointing to his shirt that has a sheriff badge on it.

"You are? Where's your hat, sheriff?" Alex asks. Norma smiles widely, loving this fatherly side of Alex. Before Norman can answer, the back door slides open and Sam reappears.

"Could you bring your ass inside and actually sit with me?" Sam asks Norma.

"Okay. I'll be in in just a second." Norma says.

"I shouldn't have to hunt my own damn shitty wife down. You should be by my side." Sam says angrily. He grabs Norman from Norma's arms and grabs Dylan's upper arm, dragging them both inside with him.

"You shouldn't let him treat you like that." Alex tells her.

"He really is nice. He's just overwhelmed and-"

"Was he overwhelmed at the party too? When he grabbed you by your hair?" he asks accusingly.

She looks back into his dark eyes, feeling embarrassed about what had happened not only a few seconds ago but also that night at the party. She smiles and laughs breathlessly, trying to be nonchalant.

"That was...he doesn't usually do that. He was just having a bad night and-"

"Don't become my mother, Norma." Alex says, stopping her.

"Please. I can't bare it. Don't live like this." he tells her. She responds by glaring at him.

"How dare you." she tells him.

"How dare you criticize my marriage and my life. I wouldn't be with Sam if it weren't for you." she tells him.

"What do you mean?" Alex asks defensively.

"If you hadn't run off to the damn Marines. If you had married me, I wouldn't be married to that scumbag." Norma tells him.

"So you admit he's a scumbag." Alex says with a smile. Norma doesn't respond, just continues glaring.

"Moving here was a mistake." Alex says, rubbing his eyes.

"And trying to invite you all for dinner was a mistake. Maybe we should just..."

"Just what? Try to forget each other?" she asks sarcastically.

"How many times are we going to push each other away, Alex?" Norma asks.

"Until it sticks." he says without hesitation. He turns back to the grill, puts the chicken on a plate and walks past her into the house without another word or even another glance in her direction.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam had gotten better over the weeks. Not great but better than he was. He hadn't hit her in a while but he still made crude comments at her. And once the bedroom door was closed, he was still animalistic. She remembered the first time that Sam had taken her by force. It wasn't the first time she was taken by force but it was the first time he had done it to her.

She was having trouble getting turned on for him and he had become impatient. He ended up grabbing her hips, leaving bruises where his fingers dug into her hip bone as he pounded into her and finished himself off while she cried into a pillow.

That was just two weeks into their marriage.

Now, here they were, almost three years in and not much had changed between them. They were nice enough to each other but far from being in love.

"How was your day?" Norma asks Sam as she places his food in front of him. He seemed off today, like he was mulling something over in his head.

"Fine." he says simply.

"And yours?" he adds, grabbing his fork and knife.

"It was fine. I had lunch with Katie." she tells him. He looks up at her, his eyes burning holes into her skin.

"What else did you do?" he asks. She felt as if it were a trap. She knew she shouldn't have mentioned the lunch.

"Alex, are you awake?" Katie whispers into the darkness. He sighs before answering.

"Yeah. Can't sleep well during storms." he mumbles.

"I think I heard something outside." Katie whispers.

"It was probably just a tree branch." Alex says, his eyes remaining closed. They sit in silence for a few moments before being jolted awake by a pounding on their window. They both sit straight up and look to each other.

"Go!" Katie whispers, pushing Alex out of bed. He walks over to the window and opens the curtains, revealing a very wet and scared looking Norma Bates. Alex quickly opens the window and grabs her hips, helping her into his bedroom.

"Oh my god!" Katie says, getting out of bed as she notices the bruises and cuts on Norma.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Norma asks in a weak voice.

"Of course." Alex says without even glancing at Katie. Norma nods, her face crumpling as she begins to cry.

"Close the window." Alex tells Katie while he directs Norma out of their room. He guides her into the guest bedroom and grabs a towel to wrap around her.

"What did he do?" Alex asks, checking Norma's body for anything serious.

"I told him I had lunch with Katie and...and he hates when I spend money without asking." Norma tells Alex.

"Okay. You can sleep here tonight. I'll have Katie bring you some pajamas." Alex tells her.

"The boys." Norma squeaks out with worry.

"I'll go get them. Don't worry about it." he tells her. She nods and sits on the bed, wiping her tears with the warm towel.

"I'll be back." he tells her before leaving. He doesn't bother slipping on shoes before running out into the rain and going over to Norma's house to pound on the door. Sam answers it, a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"I'm here for the boys." Alex says, walking in without waiting for Sam to move. Sam laughs and shakes his head.

"Whatever." he says before taking a swig of the alcohol. Alex walks up the stairs to grab Norman first, the toddler remaining asleep in his arms as he wakes Dylan up.

"We're gonna have a sleepover tonight, okay?" Alex asks, taking Dylan's small hand.

"Okay." Dylan says tiredly, allowing Alex to lead him out of the house. When they're on the porch, Alex leans down to pick up Dylan as well. He runs out into the rain, waking Norman up in the process. Once he reaches his house, he walks straight to the guest room where Norma is staying.

"You alright?" Alex asks again. She stands up, having already redressed in some dry pajamas.

"Thank you so much, Alex. Really. Thank you." Norma says, taking Norman from his arms. He lays Dylan on the bed next to Norman and turns back to Norma.

"Need anything else?" he asks her. Her blue eyes stare up at him, a small smile on her lips. She steps forward and wraps her arms around his waist, burying her nose into the crook of his neck. He smiles and hugs her back, enjoying the familiar feeling of having her body against his.

"So much for pushing each other away." he says with a smile.

"We just can't seem to shake each other, square." she says, pulling away.

"I'll be back in the morning. Goodnight, Norma." he tells her.

"Goodnight, Alex."

The next morning, Alex had woken up to get ready for work. He was working at the local sheriff's department as a deputy and he quite liked the job. Once he was completely dressed, he quietly snuck into the guest room to find Norma sleeping soundly with her two kids laying on top of her. It was quite a beautiful sight. Alex couldn't seem to tear his eyes away.

"Alex?" Katie whispers, appearing behind him.

"Hey." he says, glancing back at her.

"They sure are a beautiful family." Katie says, looking at them. Alex nods and closes the door silently.

"How long do you think they'll be here?" Katie asks, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"As long as they need to be." Alex says, slipping away from her.

"Why are you always like this?" Katie asks, not bothering to talk quietly anymore.

"Like what?" Alex asks.

"Short with me. Ever since you came back it's like...it's like you don't want to be around me." she says, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm not short with you. I have to go. I don't have time to talk about this right now." he tells her, walking past her.

"See? Short. Not even a kiss goodbye." she calls out.

"Sometimes, I think you forget how lucky you are to have me." she tells him. He glances back at her once before walking out the door. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He couldn't seem to allow himself to feel loved. Katie was a perfect wife. She was beautiful, smart, funny, kind, and had the cutest southern accent. Yet he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that they were all wrong for each other.

They had married rather quick and now Alex felt as if maybe they had made a terrible mistake. Especially now that Norma was back in his life.

"Morning, kids." Katie says with a cigarette between her plump lips as she looks back to see the two boys walking into the kitchen sleepily. Katie was frying up some eggs for breakfast since it was the only thing she knew how to make.

"Morning, miss Katie." Dylan says with a big smile as he sits at the table. He helps Norman up into his chair before turning to Norma who is walking in. Katie glances over, her dark eyes scanning Norma's bruised and beaten body. She couldn't imagine what it was like being in her shoes. She especially couldn't imagine Sam being so violent. Sam was the sweetest guy Katie knew. If she was being honest, she had a small crush on the handsome man.

She couldn't picture him beating his own wife just for the hell of it. Maybe Norma was a really unbearable wife. Maybe she was the kind of woman that hit her husband, expecting that he wouldn't hit back. And maybe Sam had had enough of it.

 _Yeah, that's probably it._ Katie thought, her eyes finally leaving Norma to look down at the eggs.

Katie had a feeling that Norma and Alex knew each other previously but every time Katie brings it up to Alex, he changes the subject.

"Where's Alex?" Norma asks, looking around.

"Work. Won't be back till around dinner time." Katie says, putting the eggs on a plate.

The home phone rings and Katie quickly grabs it, half hoping it would be Alex calling to apologize for being an ass.

"Hello?" Katie answers.

"Hello, Mrs. Romero. I was wondering if I could speak to my wife, please?" Sam asks gently. He had a kind voice. He can't be a violent man.

"Of course." Katie says with a smile. She turns to Norma and holds the phone out.

"Its for you." she tells her. Norma slowly stands up and grabs the phone, walking outside before answering.

"H-Hello?" Norma answers, leaning against the side of the house so that if Sam were looking over, she would be hidden.

"Norma...baby, I'm so sorry." Sam says softly. Norma can feel tears spring to her eyes. He was trying to charm his way back into her life and Norma was deeply afraid that she might let him. It was how these things always went.

"Sam-" she cries.

"Norma, please...I-I-I was drunk and stupid. God, I was so stupid. Please...I need my boys and I need you and..."he trails off.

Norma begins to cry, feeling helpless. She knew he was toxic but she could feel herself start to give into him.

"Don't cry." he says softly.

"Please, Sam. You...You have to let me go." she cries to him.

"This is killing me." she adds, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the palm of her hand.

"I know. I'll do better. I promise. Just come home." he begs. She shakes her head, sniffling.

Before she knew what she was doing, she was grabbing the boys and bringing them back into the toxic house. She had stayed at the Romero's for most of the day but decided to leave before Alex got home. She knew he would try to make them stay.

"Norma, babe, i'm so sorry." Sam says, grabbing her upper arms to pull her in for a hug. He was holding her so tightly that she felt as if she couldn't breathe. It was almost more possessive than it was loving.

"I'm just going to go and put the boys to sleep." Norma says, pulling away from him. She walks upstairs, Norman in her arms while Dylan trails behind her tiredly. She tucks them into bed, not having a problem getting them to go to sleep.

When she walks downstairs, she finds Sam finishing off a beer. Her stomach churns at the look that he gives her.

"Thought you could run to the neighbors? Find fucking safety from your own damn husband?" Sam snarls angrily, stepping toward her. Norma steps back but hits the wall behind her.

"Sam, I-"

His hand smacks her cheek, making her whole face sting.

"On your knees, bitch." he spits at her, grabbing her shoulder and pushing her down. He slowly unbuckles his belt and pushes his pants down while Norma continues to cry. He grabs her by her hair, forcing her onto him. She should've never come back to this house.

Every night after that seemed to play out this way. She would put the kids to bed and then Sam would become a different man.

Every night, she hears it in her dreams: the screams that no one else could hear.

 _So sorry for the delay in updates! I just got back from vacation this morning and I am working hard on getting some chapters up and ready for you all. Thank you for the love and support!_

 _xoxo_


End file.
